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Found work in Asia - Finally!

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Hello there

Long one this and I've had a beer so rambling at times.

Some of you may remember me. Most probably don't. Well I was an unqualified person looking to break into I.T. when I stumbled on certforums way back. Back then my aspirations were simple. Get away from working in Security/building management and into I.T. Somewhere I felt I belonged owing to my love of all things electronic and knack for solving complex problems.
I eventually landed a job with a great company in a second line position. At this time I was only rocking an A+ and a MCP (70-270). It was more enough though.
After a few years my partner, being half Chinese and half English but not looking particularly like she came from either place, decided she'd like to go back to Taiwan as a good chunk of her family was there and she'd finished her education. The economy was tanking. Weather was crap and all the usual ex pat grumbles. I though long and hard about it.

Asia was big on my list of places to visit but I never really wanted to just visit. I really wanted to soak it up. Taiwan, China, Japan, Malaysia and on and on. We had friends all over Asia as well that we had always promised to visit. I figured living there would be the best way to see as much as possible but it would be risky and emotional leaving the Shire!

This did mean leaving the security of my job. My salary and benefits. My family and friends and worst of all. My beloved Cider!

So we saved extra aggressively to cover us for the long haul in case employment proved tricky, booked tickets and handed in our notices.

She got lucky and landed a job within a few months. Fortunately things being as they are in Taiwan, a foreigners salary goes a long way (another reason we could justify coming. The ability save at twice the rate we could in the U.K. even if we got fairly average jobs). I wasn't so lucky as her so soon.

Oh, I got there eventually. Hence this post but it was very bleak at times. Had it not been for very good friends I had made here I would have gone insane and given up.

I applied for anything and everything that came up on the job sites that had even a slight technical aspect to it. I had a few enquiries from people as well but once they realised my Mandarin was mediocre they'd stop pursuing an interview.

Mandarin is hard. I've been studying for some time but unless you are here in the thick of it every day it's easy to fall into some bad habits as far as pronouncing the tones go. Some Mandarin students don't even try as the use of Pinyin forces people to foolishly assume they can read a phrase book phonetically. For example my favourite breakfast item is called "Dàn b&#464;ng". Those squiggles indicate the tone you should use for the word. Say it wrong and you're telling a bleary eyed breakfast vendor that may not have seen a Foreigner in years, let alone have one come into his breakfast shop to buy food. Well basically you find yourself unwittingly telling him in a slow idiot voice that you want to join the army. Possibly with cheese if he has any.

I am improving and you would think that having a fluent girlfriend would help but she wants the easy life when she gets home and my local friends all want to practice English for free. Ah well. I'll be enrolling in a language school soon so that should iron out any wrinkles.

Anyway - I finally got an interview for an English speaking support role and they were very happy with me. After 3 interviews and one final impromptu one they arranged just to be sure that they were sure I got the offer.

Then the agonising wait as they apply for the work permit (all the while I had been living here on savings, my girlfriends earnings and doing a a visa run every three months).

The permit was approved a couple of days ago and now I can apply for a residency visa which in turn means I can do normal people things. Like get a phone contract or apply for a driving licence or many other things that you don't really think about when in your native land but can do quite easily.

I start next week in a very international team as what appears to be localised 3rd line support with a bit of technical marketing work thrown in for good measure. There looks to be lots of room to grow and some travel as well. The best thing though was meeting my team today and spending a couple of hours getting an impromptu tour from my new manager. A very friendly bunch and as they are mostly foreigners in that department a lot more relaxed than the other floors.

I was optimistic coming here. Then I was, to be brutally honest, almost suicidal at my sense of worthlessness in this country after fruitlessly job hunting for so long.

I'm back to optimistic again. I've fallen in love with Taiwan in such a short space of time and would hate to have had to leave.

One thing I learned from all of this and my first ever I.T. job hunt which had some very similar highs and lows. Persistence pays off. Truly it does

As long as your not mental that is! All you "Newbs" and veterans of the job hunt, stick at it. Please

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Congrats on finding a job out there. Your story has really given me a lift as a newbie starting out on the road in IT and hopefully I will find the right position for me after I finish my A+ N+ and one of the Microsoft Cert's.

I'm still trying to decide which was harde though. Getting my first I.T. job back home or getting one here. Similar timescales involved if you discount all the study for certification.

Guess the message is that even when it seems so utterly bleak and you can't even face getting out of bed just keep pushing. There might be some hope just round the corner.

@lukep Not sure I'll be missing the "tun" though. Used to live right off it. Spent more time than I'd care to admit rocking out in Tasties after a sess at the Star as well. It was a good road for fried chicken and beer at any hour of the day though.

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